1. Unit 4: Media Audiences and Products
For this unit you must:
GC1 – Know how a media industry identifies audiences for its products
GC2 – Understand how media products are constructed for specific audiences
GC3 – Understand how audiences can respond to media products
Unit 4 GC 1: Know how a Media Industry Identifies Audiences for its Products
Task 1
Use the table to answer the two questions below
There are several ways we might classify audiences such as in gender, age,
ethnicities, sexual orientations etc.
The Standard Occupations Classification is listed below
A - In media , why might we group or classify audiences in this manner?
Because then we have a clear idea who to appeal to and what we can do to appeal
to them and people who create new programme then they are able to figure out
who/how to target their target audience.

2. B - How is audience research used in relation to new media products? (e.g.
rating, BARB, focus groups, questionnaires)
When a company is creating a new show/magazine its helpful to looks at things
such as BARB to get an idea of the number of people who watch shows/read
magazines that they are looking to create.
It would also help to look at how many people watch TV at certain times and see
what times most people watch TV so then they can decide when to air their
programme. They can also see what types of programmes are the most popular
and what shows do the best within their chosen target audience.
Editors of new magazines will be able to target specific readers by using BARB. If
you are creating a high end glossy fashion magazine you will target an upper middle
class audience (Grade A).
Task 2
A - Using the classifications table and the BARB website, what can you tell us
about your chosen industry and your product from Unit 21? (who would like
your target audience be?)
I would like my target audience to be people from grade B because they are middle
class and they typically buy magazines like Grazia which is a fashion magazine and
somewhere where I would like my photos to be featured and the magazine itself is
quite popular so I could get publicity from it. Then my readers would have good jobs
and be professional and listen to radio stations such as Radio 2.
B – What constraints, codes of practice, and or regulations does your chosen
industry/must your product follow?
 Consent from people in the photos to be able to display them
 Legal paperwork

3. Unit 4 GC 2: Understand how media products are constructed for specific
audiences
Task 1
Create an avatar of an ‘average audience member’ that your Unit 21 product is
aimed at. Consider age, gender, clothing style, musical tastes, etc.
This is the type of audience member that I would appeal to. They are quite
sophisticated and live in modern house and like to have a good time.
Task 2
Look at your final product and list the ways you have aimed your product
at your target audience. Consider content, genre, language used,
narrative, visual images, graphics, fonts, colours etc.
• The photos are quite simple
• They are modern and there isn’t a lot going on
• The way I have displayed my photos are quite modern so it appeals to
my target audience
Unit 4 GC 3: Understand how audiences can respond to media products
Task 1
Using your product, conduct a focus group (of at least 4 people) that aims to gauge
audience opinion of your product.
Task 2
Write a report presenting your results of your survey and focus group. Consider the
following:
• How have different ages, genders etc responded to your product?
• Were you surprised with the results?
• Do your results show that your product has reached your desired target
audience?